There’s nothing quite like British comedy. Though it’s got its fabulous fans and cranky critics, there’s no doubt that this particular brand of rapier-sharp wit and self-aware and self-deprecating humor has had a major impact on the world. The United Kingdom’s soft power arsenal is vast and far-reaching indeed.
But British joke culture is more than just about Blackadder, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and endless quips about scones. The closer you look at daily life in the UK, the more you realize just how bizarre things can get. The ‘No Context Britain’ Facebook page documents some of the funniest memes about daily British life. And anyone who’s ever lived there will probably find them incredibly relatable.
Check out the funniest pics below, upvote the ones that you liked the most, and let us know which of these got you chuckling and thinking how much you’d love a Sunday roast right about now. Cheerio!
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At the time of writing, ‘No Context Britain’ had just shy of 11k followers on Facebook. British memes and daily comedy are actually very popular topics on social media. Naturally, there’s a bit of competition for internet users’ attention.
For instance, here on Bored Panda, we’ve featured ‘Casual UK,’ ‘No Context Brits,’ and ‘No Context UK.’ Give ‘em a read if you’re in the mood for some more Albion-esque wit and quips, once you’re done enjoying this list.
Mate, do you want to be seen or not?
Quite a few of the pics shared by the founder of ‘No Context Britain’ might evoke deep and thoughtful questions, such as: ‘What?’, ‘Huh?’, And, ‘What in the King’s name is going on?!’
More context would be lovely to have. Without it, though, we’re free to make up our interpretations. On the flip side, anyone who’s lived in the UK for an extended period of time might pick up on the context.
Someone who only visited London for a few days while on vacation, however, might not. Thankfully, this is the internet we’re talking about, and there are tons of people who’d be more than happy to explain the memes to you.
A while ago, Bored Panda had gotten in touch with British comedy writer and journalism expert Ariane Sherine, for a chat about the UK, its food, and the weather.
She described the character of the British as “witty, grumpy, cynical, endearing, passive-aggressive, repressed, kind, tolerant, and reserved."
Who doesn’t make up creative narratives while travelling a repetitious route.
According to British comedy expert Ariane, the UK (at least to her) means: “National Trust historic properties, Grade II-listed houses, Routemaster buses, ancient magazines in doctors' waiting rooms, people moaning about the weather (and also moaning about public transport and celebrities and the government)... queues, sunburn, red postboxes, the Royal family, pop music, and great jokes.”
The comedy pro shared her recommendations for when it comes to sampling a bit of British cuisine. "Go to the seaside town of Whitby and try fish and chips. Or a steak and kidney pie with gravy. You can thank me later," she suggested to anyone who’s visiting the UK for the very first time.
Meanwhile, before that, writer Ariane was kind enough to share her take on the state of journalism in the UK. She shared her thoughts about tabloids (aka ‘red tops’) with Bored Panda.
“I think the British press, particularly the sensationalist yellow press uses a lot more wordplay, humor, and puns in headlines—and also employs shock to grab the reader,” she said.
“You’ve also got our tabloid the Daily Sport, which I wouldn’t even class as a newspaper as it’s mostly made up for entertainment and titillation!” the writer said.
“I definitely think people read the Sport purely for cheeky entertainment and to look at scantily clad women, as it’s only meant for that.”
She noted that “a lot of people get all their news from the Sun or Star, which is a bit worrying. They definitely believe everything they read in those papers—and they shouldn’t!”
When it comes to writing a good, catchy headline, it really depends on the topic that’s being covered. “What’s the human interest angle? What would grab my attention? You have to distill the story into its essence in one sentence. What makes it entertaining?”
Very polite we don’t get signs like this in Sydney. We don’t get any!
And no collection of memes is ever complete without at least referring to one bizarre British headline. The puns, angles, as well as the topics themselves, are usually second-to-none. And they’re usually prime examples of how humor in the UK works.
I have probably seen this image 5 times on this site, still never gets old!
If Anyone is stumped, it is to do with the cost of warming your house in the winter
Which of these memes confused you the most? Were there any that made you chuckle and forward them to your pals? What, dear Pandas, is quintessentially 'British' to you? We'd love to hear what you think, so pop down by the comment section and spill the (baked) beans.
At least if he steals the car after selling it to you, you’ve got his photo lol.
"It's over! Employees of London Underground! I have the high ground!" -Goose (probably)
It was a great party though and the mopeds didn't regret a thing next morning.
It’s the same as Mexico and anywhere South America being filmed in a sandy, sepia tone!
Have you seen some brands of cat food??? Even i am tempted to try them...
Load More Replies...To be fair, high-quality cat food can have up to 90% pure meat content. So it's probably better than some canned food for humans.
Solid point. I can't lie and say that I have never looked at the grain and filler free duck pâté that I give my cats and wondered what it tastes like.
Load More Replies...My cat lived mostly on Whiskas, but at times I got him some fancy stuff and some of that was pretty tempting.
Actually, yes, they do. (Or at least they did. It came up in a class I took, but that was 30 years ago, so I don't know if they still do...)
Load More Replies...Pate is actually cheaper than most wet catfood and not sold in the same aisle...
But after shopping you find it in the same shopping bag :)
Load More Replies...I once dreamed I had opened a tin of cat food and then accidentally licked my fingers. I woke up half-puking.
Don't they have human taste testers for animal food anyway?
Load More Replies...I mean, if it tastes good, why not? There are people who eat kale. Talk about gross
So they saw the picture of a cat. If they didn't think it was for cats, did they want to try pâté made of cats?
Ash Ketchum’s unkown cousin who decided to be the world’s greatest Masterchef. (Don’t worry I’m already showing myself out)
Downvotes are not dislikes. Downvoting causes people to be unnecessarily suspended and banned. Don't be a troll and target frequent commenters with your downvotes. Downvotes should be saved for the stupid bots like the Sarah Alexander one currently active on this page and others.
Exactly I've been suspended twice just because I had a different opinion. Nothing malicious or anything.
Load More Replies...When do we get to see an affectionate totally non-malicious post like this about America?
We need one where all the Americans on BP just post a picture or story about something fun or interesting in their town!
Load More Replies...Downvotes are not dislikes. Downvoting causes people to be unnecessarily suspended and banned. Don't be a troll and target frequent commenters with your downvotes. Downvotes should be saved for the stupid bots like the Sarah Alexander one currently active on this page and others.
Exactly I've been suspended twice just because I had a different opinion. Nothing malicious or anything.
Load More Replies...When do we get to see an affectionate totally non-malicious post like this about America?
We need one where all the Americans on BP just post a picture or story about something fun or interesting in their town!
Load More Replies...